The Grove(123)
. . . Right.
* * *
Etrechim was not the most eloquent of speakers. It was clear he was a true priest of his people, for he spoke passionately before his Patron and the other Gods, but he wasn’t very organized, he hadn’t really brought anything written down to help him stay on track, and it was clear he was still overwhelmed by being in the presence of his Deity.
Slightly more accustomed to at least praying to her Deities, if not always to receiving a direct reply, Saleria wasn’t entirely overwhelmed. Still a bit in awe, but not overwhelmed. In fact, she discreetly slipped out of her seat to go find one of the hastily assembled servants at the back of the now crowded room. Her request for writing materials to augment the original notes she had made was greeted with a nod and a murmur that the man would do his best to find and fetch her something.
As she returned to the Convocation hall, she crossed paths with a light-brown-haired man, his eyes as aqua-blue as Kelly’s, but with the look of Guardian Dominor about his face. She turned to watch him go, wondering if he was one of Dominor’s apparent plethora of brothers, but the young man had his attention on a woman retreating from the hall. Hoping she would have time to meet Dominor’s kin later, she resumed her seat.
Two minutes later, the servant in the sunset-clad tabard made his way over to her, crouching a little to try not to disrupt the view of the others watching Etrechim continue his somewhat rambling recital. She accepted the inkpot, quill, and blank sheet of paper he handed her, and wrote down, Suggest to Queen Kelly the next Convocation of Gods and Man starts with more time to accustom everyone to their Deities, or at least have them come a lot more prepared for their allotted time.
Only then did it occur to her that she was understanding Etrechim’s long-winded, rambling speech.
(Of course you’re understanding it,) Kata whispered in her mind. (The Convocation of Gods and Man would be nigh-useless as a way to bring the world together in peace and understanding every four years if you couldn’t understand each other the moment the Gateway of Heaven was opened. But it only works in proximity to the Gateway of Heaven.)
(Keep in mind that, once the Gateway is shut, you’ll have to go back to either babbling at each other without comprehension, or you’ll have to actually learn each other’s languages, by rote memorization, spell, or potion,) Jinga cautioned her. (Now organize your thoughts, Daughter of Katan.)
She had that much warning before the Fortunai priest ceased his speeches with a trio of heartfelt bows and thanks to his God, and a sweeping bow to all the Deities. That allowed Queen Kelly to step up and speak.
“Um, Nauvea,” she said, addressing the least powerful of the Goddesses gathered in the chamber. “If I may petition you very quickly on behalf of my sister?”
“She is ready. Do not delay your own duties,” the young Goddess in the white dress with the white flower in Her hair stated, smiling.
“Right . . . the next person . . .” Kelly consulted a pad of paper. Saleria was already in motion, leaving the quill, inkpot, and paper behind, but fetching out the scroll Daranen had prepared for this moment. “That would be Priestess Saleria of Katan,” the newly confirmed Queen of Nightfall asserted. “Speak your piece, worship the, ah, Father Kata and Jinga as you see fit—”
The Father what? Saleria blinked at the other woman in shock. Only the chuckling of Kata Herself in the back of her mind saved her from being affronted by such mangled near-blasphemy.
(Be gentle and gracious,) Kata encouraged her, as Kelly pushed her pad of notes onto Guardian Dominor, muttering something about queenly business elsewhere. (She’s in the middle of rescuing her blood-bound sister from the “bad guys” as we speak. It has the woman a little flustered, as it would fluster anyone.)
Right, Saleria thought back at Her and Him. Gracious it is. I can do gracious—if things are as bad as Dominor hinted, please, lend Your aid to helping these kind people, she prayed, moving to the center of the hall. They have reconvened the Convocation of Gods and Man . . . and . . . bollocks to this. I’m saying this out loud, she asserted mentally. And got a chuckle from Jinga.
“Unto Holy Kata, Maiden and Mother, Lady and Crone, and unto Holy Jinga, Lover and Father, Lord and Guide, Patrons of the Four Aspects of Life and of the Empire of Katan . . . thank You for watching over and blessing Your people all these many years,” she stated in preamble. “Before I read from the list of Your people’s greatest concerns that have been assembled over these last two hundred years, I would like to take this moment to greet all the Gods of the world, and to ask that You continue to shower blessings upon Queen Kelly, her family, her friends, her citizens, and all those who have ever showed them kindness in the path they have taken to reach this day.”